The Uncanny Story of the Spread of the Black Plague in the 14th Century
Justin Newland SpeakerNet Sponsor
- Organisation:
- Justin Newland Author Services
- Regions:
- Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Staffordshire, West Mids, Hereford, Newport, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Bridgend, Swansea, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Neath Port Talbot
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Experienced and entertaining speaker.
- Fee:
- Paid: £80 in 2026
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 2nd January 2026
- Tagged:
- Silk Road. | Black Death | Plague. | Mongols
This talk traces the origins of the Black Plague in Central Asia in the 1330s, and its strange, inexorable journey along the Silk Road, through deserts and seas, islands and city-states, before it reached the little port of Melcombe Regis, Weymouth. The Black Plague bacterium was carried by fleas on rats, and it arrived in England in 1348, the Year of the Rat, which marks the first in the 12-year Chinese astrological cycle.
Views: 473 | Enquiries: 1About Justin Newland
A Doctor of Mathematics, I am an accomplished speaker who has given over 70 talks to organisations including local historical societies, the U3A, Probus, Luncheon Clubs, Rotary, and the WI. I am also the author of seven historical fiction novels. Here's the link to my website with the current list: https://www.justinnewland.com/talks/ My fee for 2026 is £80, and £90 for 2027. These are negotiable. I don't charge travelling expenses for sites within 100 miles of my home in Weston-super-Mare. I prefer giving talks during the daytime, mornings and afternoons, and on weekda
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